10 Questions Video

My brother sent me the following link and asked me what I thought. Here's the YouTube video:

10 questions that every intelligent Christian must answer

This was my response:

Thanks for the video! I used to ask exactly the same sorts of questions about 6 or 7 years ago, and would get very angry with Christianity, until I learned that there are higher states of consciousness, awareness, perception, and interpretation. There are many ways to see and comprehend our existence and many ways to explain why life exists. This topic (i.e. the credibility of faith, religion, believing in God, etc.) is HUGE and would be very interesting to discuss in person over some delicious wine or other beverages. :-)

Before I point out a few things, I would just like to say that I do not have any agenda. I am not interested in proving that I am right and you are wrong, or that everybody should convert to Catholicism. I am still and always have been very open-minded and tolerant. I used to call myself an atheist. I dabbled in Buddhism and Taoism. I see value in all spiritual paths and even the path of no path. I'm just going to try and explain a little bit where I'm at spiritually these days, and how I would respond to such questions as are in the video.

Again, the topic is so huge that I really cannot convey, in an e-mail, all of the ways of looking at religion, or Christianity in particular. But here are a few points to think about:

The video is clearly coming from a very rationalistic, scientific point of view. There is nothing wrong with that, but that's not the only way of comprehending reality. We in the Western world, since the time of the philosopher Descartes (who came up with the concept of "I think, therefore I am" which put a very powerful mental dividing line between body and soul, matter and spirit), have stopped seeing the world from a unified spiritual or transcendent perspective. Instead, we are all taught to dissect and explain everything with a rational, scientific mindset. People in our society are concerned with proving that something is true or false. This also, in turn, leads people to read the Bible literally (and actually that was the kind of response that created Christian fundamentalism: some Christians got scared of science but ironically ended up applying the scientific ("prove it to me") mindset onto the Bible itself to prove, in the terms of science, that the Bible is true; the same can be said in radical Islam - fundamentalism is a radical rejection of scientific materialism and modernity).

The mistake in all of this is that you cannot take the Bible, God, faith, spirituality, etc., literally. Of course you cannot prove there are such things as miracles or that God exists. Of course God is not going to regrow an amputee's arm or give you a raise rather than feed the starving children. God is not some fairytale creature who magically dispenses healing or rains down punishment (the "angry Father" type of God of the Old Testament is a primitive projection, showing the stage of development of the people who wrote it at the time). That is taking the miracle stories literally, which misses the point of religion and leads people to ask the wrong kinds of questions.

Certainly it is fine to read the Bible on the literal level or as poetry or as a piece of literature; but there are many more levels than that (which, by the way, Freemasonry, leads you to experience). Virtually all spiritual texts, as far as I know, contain an inner (esoteric) truth and an outer (exoteric) truth. Remember watching Joseph Campbell? The same is true in mythology (and yes, Christianity is a mythology, too; mythology contains truth, especially inner truth). The outer truth is what everybody is getting hung up on. The outer truth is to take the words of the Bible literally, or to apply blanket black-and-white thinking like "My God is the right one and yours is an idol" or "Gays are going to Hell", etc. People love to argue at this level, and many think that that is the only level there is in religion. The outer level is also where most of the arguing about morality and ethics takes place.

But it is the inner truth that people should really be concerned with. If you read the Bible in the mindset of that inner esoteric truth you will find that concepts like "miracles" are referring to an interior state of consciousness. Take any story in the Bible, whether it is the birth of Christ, Noah's ark, the tower of Babel, whatever it is - these things are not necessarily literally true (they may or may not be - that's not the point and it's actually not really that important!!), the key is that they point to an INNER truth. You apply these stories inwardly, to your spirit, heart, or mind. It is about your inner development as a human being, realizing your divine nature and oneness with all that is. It is NOT about proving whether there really was a Noah or not, or even a real Jesus. The purpose of religion is to guide you, your mind, heart and spirit, into a greater awareness of the divine nature in you and in all of creation. It is to learn, experience, and apply a transcendent form of love that includes all beings. This is a transcendent awareness or consciousness. This is what God is really all about - that experience of oneness, that is true reality.

This type of consciousness is beyond rational understanding or proof by scientific means. Of course science is going to poo-poo and say this is all garbage. Science is good for explaining things within the realm of science (i.e. the material world, bodies, planets, things, physical existence). But it is a misapplication of science to try and use it to explain spirituality or the transcendent mindset of God consciousness. The West has gotten into trouble by deciding that the scientific mindset is the ONLY valid mindset, the ONLY way to interpret reality, and that it can be used to explain EVERYTHING. That is not true. Science is very limited and cannot explain everything. If we could break out of that viewpoint and see that there are higher stages of being, higher states of consciousness, awareness, perception, and interpretation, we would stop fighting over the lowest levels of consciousness (literal fundamentalism), and start to realize there are larger realities we have been missing. Science has validity in the realm in which it is concerned - science, but we shouldn't use it as our sole foundation for explaining everything.

What are your views?

Myths of Modern Times

The following is a fun quote from Myth and Reality by Mircea Eliade, regarding the power of myth in our modern times:

Mythical behavior can be recognized in the obsession with "success" that is so characteristic of modern society and that expresses an obscure wish to transcend the limits of the human condition; in the exodus to Suburbia, in which we can detect the nostalgia for "primordial perfection"; in the paraphernalia and emotional intensity that characterize what has been called the "cult of the sacred automobile." As Andrew Greeley remarks, "one need merely visit the annual automobile show to realize that it is a highly ritualized religious performance. The colors, the lights, the music, the awe of the worshippers, the presence of the temple priestesses (fashion models), the pomp and splendor, the lavish waste of money, the thronging crowds - all these would represent in any other culture a clearly liturgical service... The cult of the sacred car has its adepts and initiati. No gnostic more eagerly awaited a revelation from an oracle than does an automobile worshipper await the first rumors about the new models. It is at this time of the annual seasonal cycle that the high priests of the cult - the auto dealers - take on a new importance as an anxious public eagerly expects the coming of a new form of salvation."

Interesting to contemplate! Can you think of any other myths generated by our society and consumerist culture? I think the key to personal evolution, intellectual development, and spiritual growth, requires that we stop and take a deeper look at the images and messages being fed to us. Especially in the United States, we are bombarded, practically from birth, with messages from the mass media, the government, the educational system, and corporate interests, to look, behave, conform, and consume in certain ways. If an individual doesn't stop to question the validity of such messages it would be very easy to succumb to them and develop a false sense of self, not to mention a mindless sheep mentality. We must each learn to think for ourselves, to ask critical questions, and develop our own unique identity, separate from the demands others. Life is too short to squander it by behaving as a puppet or a slave of others. We must seize our personal destinies and make the most of every second to develop ourselves to our fullest potential, to help each other, the planet, and all living things. Tune out the noise and false reality. Find your true inner self.

Your body is your thoughts

Lately I have been pondering the connection between health and the mind. I have always believed, to some extent, that the human mind is very powerful and that thoughts or beliefs can affect one's health. I have seen examples with my own eyes of individuals with positive attitudes being able to overcome terrible traumas or diseases, beating the odds. And vice versa, I have seen individuals with negative attitudes die sooner than one would have expected, or suffer much more in both body and mind. The hard part for me is wondering how far one can consider the power of the mind. Could it be true that really ALL physical and mental illnesses are caused by one's thoughts? I offer a few quotations:

According to the Course [A Course in Miracles], the mind is so powerful that it is the cause of everything it feels. Our feelings are produced by our internal beliefs, not by external circumstances. Now imagine that our primary belief about ourselves is guilt, which says, "I deserve to suffer; I deserve to be unhappy." If we really do believe that (however buried that belief may be), and if our beliefs really do produce our emotional states, then what else could that belief do but produce a condition of misery? In the Course's view, all suffering is self-imposed punishment for presumed sin.

Robert Perry, Path of Light

According to the Course, sin and guilt are illusions created by our egos to reinforce our belief in separateness from God. The feeling of guilt is already deeply ingrained into our minds when we come into this world. To overcome sin and guilt we must practice forgiveness and come to the realization that our separate identities and the universe itself are illusory. This realization, a "change in perception," is what is referred to as the "miracle" in the book's title.

A few quotes from Chapter 10, "The Idols of Sickness," in A Course in Miracles:

To believe that a Son of God can be sick is to believe that part of God can suffer. Love cannot suffer, because it cannot attack.

When a brother is sick it is because he is not asking for peace, and therefore does not know he has it. The acceptance of peace is the denial of illusion, and sickness is an illusion.

The Sonship [the Course's term to describe the oneness of everything. Everything that we perceive in the universe, including every person, animal, thing, etc., is referred to as a "Son of God"] cannot be perceived as partly sick, because to perceive it that way is not to perceive it at all. If the Sonship is one, it is one in all respects. Oneness cannot be divided. If you perceive other gods ["other gods" refers to "idols" - believing that you are sick is the equivalent of worshiping an idol, something false] your mind is split, because it is the sign that you have removed part of your mind from God's Will. This means it is out of control. To be out of control is to be out of reason, and then the mind does become unreasonable. By defining the mind wrongly, you perceive it as functioning wrongly.

You are not sick and you cannot die. But you can confuse yourself with things that do. Remember, though, that to do this is blasphemy, for it means that you are looking without love on God and His creation, from which He cannot be separated. Only the eternal can be loved, for love does not die. What is of God is His forever, and you are of God. Would He allow Himself to suffer?

So what does this all mean? I can understand this logically, but the hard part is actually living this reality at the deepest level of one's being. It is easy to say, "Yeah, everything is one and there is no separation and no separate self apart from God." But how do we get to the point where one really, really believes it and lives it?

Do we really realize and comprehend how powerful our thoughts really are? And not just our conscious thoughts, but the buried thoughts, fears, and memories in the unconscious? I think it is the unconscious, our "shadow" self, where we really need to explore and find the true source of all our sufferings. I have been trying to look at my own life experiences, especially with my health problems of this year, to see if there are some deeper issues hiding in my unconscious that might be causing my physical ailments. I don't have a clear answer (since I don't yet know how to dig into my unconscious and resolve my issues - yet) but I do have some theories (which I may share in a future post).

The hardest part, however, is looking at one's self and saying, "I made myself sick with my own thoughts!" On the surface, this would seem to only pile on more guilt and blame. After all, if I am having health problems, I must have been thinking some bad thoughts to cause them! I am responsible. Yet, I think we have to realize that the primary source of the illness-inducing thoughts must be in the unconscious. At the conscious level we may not even have any clue what the issues are in the unconscious (thus, obviously, that's why it's called "the unconscious"). The mind has some powerful tricks, like denial, for making us conveniently "forget" traumas that are too much for our conscious mind to handle. If you knew what your issues were you would find a way to resolve them (usually). Instead, the issues can remain buried for years, cropping up in insidious ways, in the form of health problems, depression, projection of anger onto others, etc. You are fighting inwardly against yourself, but against a force that has no face and is basically invisible.

So this is where I'm at: where do I go from here? If I suspect I have unresolved issues causing my health problems, how do I deal with them? I have plumbed the depths of my personal history, memories, and waking consciousness through journal writing, reflection, and meditation (and continue to do so, as there is no end). But how does one tap into one's unconscious? And how can it be done carefully and cautiously so as not to cause further damage? I will keep exploring. I recently ordered Ken Wilber's Integral Life Practice kit, which does include work on the shadow. I'm hoping that could be a start. I will blog about my experiences with the kit in the future.

Finally, I would like to add a few more quotes about the mind-health connection. I read an amazing article this week. You can read it online here. Try, if you can, to suspend your judgment before reading it. Of course, on the rational-mind level, there is a lot that can be hard to swallow. Yet, my intuition is telling me that there is some real truth being expressed. I am coming to the conclusion, more and more in my life, as I get older, that one has to keep questioning everything. Don't just believe what the masses tell you, or do what people have been doing for years merely because "tradition" says you should. Question everything and come to your own conclusions.

A few quotes from Peter Ragnar:

Because I feel that we have ultimate control to the degree that we're conscious. If we are conscious enough, we can make anything happen in our body. We can preserve this body or we can kill this body.

It's very simple to see how people kill their bodies with their thoughts—it's a product of their unconsciousness of causes and effects. If we're conscious of our thoughts—I mean luminously conscious of our thoughts—those thoughts then impregnate the cellular structure of our body in a way that is very, very difficult to explain. When you have an abundance of life force inside you, it pours out of your eyes. It comes out of the palms of your hands as heat, as healing heat. It radiates as if you swallowed the sun, and you are different. Now, with that type of dynamic and powerful energy inside of you, how can you die?

I'm probably out there by myself on this one, but I feel that we do have ultimate control of our body, because our body is a thought. It's filled with frozen memories—memories that are formed by our experiences that we have already reached conclusions about, and we've emotionalized those conclusions and frozen them into our flesh. Therefore, only when we thaw it out and release, and stop holding on for dear life, can we have dear life.

All flesh is grass

From today's reading of the day, Isaiah 40:

A voice commands, ‘Cry!’
and I answered, ‘What shall I cry?’”
– ‘All flesh is grass
and its beauty like the wild flower’s.
The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the Lord blows on them.
(The grass is without doubt the people.)
The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God remains for ever.’

It is good to keep the eternal in mind. It is so easy to get attached to our physical, material world and especially to our bodies. We think our little ego identity is permanent, fixed, and will go on forever. When we're young and full of vitality we think our body must be indestructible. How quickly pain or suffering can remind us otherwise.

Observing My Frustrations

Today is just one of those days when I wake up and it seems like nothing is going right and my life is running on an endless treadmill to satisfy the needs of others before myself. I've noticed that these feelings crop up especially after several days of sleep deprivation, combined with running around almost every evening after I get home from work. Plus work lately has been much busier than normal, adding to my exhaustion. The accumulation of exhaustion and never having a full hour or two for quiet contemplation just gets my ego fired up to scream, "This isn't fair! What about me?! You have neglected my needs!" I observe my thoughts and feelings going by. They seem pretty extreme and irrational. They are like a little child who didn't get the toy she wanted and bangs her fists on the wall in a temper tantrum. Sometimes you just realize that you don't always feel light and happy every day. Our psyches also include the shadow. And rather than repressing or denying one's feelings, sometimes it is necessary to feel our anger or frustration to the fullest; to let off the steam so it doesn't accumulate on the inside, leading to health problems or depression (i.e. anger turned against one's self).

This is not the first time I have had such feelings. It happens several times per year, followed by vows of changing my life, making lists of resolutions for self-improvement or changing my habits or schedule. The latest realization for changing my habits includes two new elements:

1. Wake up at 4:00 AM every day and go to sleep soon after I get home from work and eat a light dinner. It seems that I am most productive and alert first thing in the morning, as opposed to when I get home from work. After work I am getting tired and slowing down. I come home from work and face a bunch of chores, like cooking dinner, laundry, cleaning, etc. Only after I've done my chores do I start to think about doing the things I really enjoy (reading books, writing music, etc.), but of course I am really too tired to do everything, and end up neglecting those things I care most about. The chores get almost done (but not always, especially if I am too tired after work and feel 'entitled' to goofing off, wasting yet more time) but my music composition never really starts. My personal dreams and goals get set aside indefinitely until some 'perfect' day off from chores, or other excuses, shows up (which rarely happens).

Thus, the new idea is to wake up at 4:00 AM and get things done before work starts, when my energy level is at its peak. I would set a daily schedule that includes meditation, exercise, and a good breakfast. Chores, like laundry or grocery shopping, would be focused on certain weekday evenings so that I keep the weekend free. It seems like almost all of my weekday evenings, after I get home from work, are squandered. The time is wasted on half-ass attempts or doing nothing useful. I might as well switch my free time to the morning, before work, and start the day off knowing I accomplished some of my goals.

2. Include my goals in my calendar, too, not just my appointments or arrangements with other people. It seems I have somehow allowed my personal goals to fall into third place behind household chores and social obligations. If I really valued my goals and dreams I would at least have them on an equal footing with the other items. I would find a way to make time for my music, writing, and meditation. Life should be in a healthy balance.

This is not to imply that chores and social obligations aren't important either. There should be a way to balance every aspect in my life. The imbalance is leading to too much frustration!

I know I keep saying it over and over, but maybe that's what it takes to get it to sink into my head: I must take responsibility for my life. I must make time for things that are important to me. Change starts with me. I must stop blaming others and external circumstances for my lack of time and feelings of frustration. I create my reality and need to figure out a way to organize my time into a more harmonious flow.

Responding to Difficult People

One of the first things you realize about this world, perhaps even among your very earliest memories, is that not everyone is going to like you. Or vice versa - there are some people who just get on your nerves or rub you the wrong way. There may not even be a logical reason for it; some people have annoying voices or like to argue about everything or just give off a bad vibe.

Hopefully, as you get older and wiser and gain experience and a wider perspective, it is possible to avoid ruffled feelings (most of the time), whether they are your own or others. When you realize that it is possible to control your responses and reactions to others, as well as your feelings, you can reduce a lot of unnecessary suffering.

Yet, what I have discovered after so many years of pursuing self-improvement and trying to put myself in the shoes of others, is that I still find myself getting angry or upset or irritated with other people. It sure is hard to put positive behaviors into practice ALL of the time! I have found that there must be some basic element of human nature that demands to be right at the expense of others. Or, at a minimum, demands to be right and hopes or expects that everyone else agrees.

Examples:
"I am right and you are wrong!"
"I can't believe so-and-so is so stupid and doesn't see from my perspective."
"I can't believe the masses of people voted for so-and-so!"
"I can't stand it how rude/disgusting that person is behaving on the bus!"

And on and on. I'm sure you can think of many more examples in your own life.

Just think of how many times per day or per week you get irritated by somebody. Do you stop to observe your own reaction and your thoughts? Do you take your time to form your words before you say them and catch yourself before you say something unkind or inappropriate? I challenge you to observe yourself and count how many times during a week you get irritated by others. Step back from yourself and observe your own thoughts and reactions. What is it that sets you off?

After reading things like A Course in Miracles I am well aware of the concept that everything and everyone is One with God. That we should forgive our brothers and sisters because ultimately this world of ours is illusory and if we could only see with true vision that the person pissing us off right now is really the one true Christ Himself (because everything and everyone is really Christ) we wouldn't stay so pissed off for long. But! But! How hard it is to put this into practice! How hard it is to really believe and see with true vision! Forgiveness is really the key that unlocks our heart and takes us to the next step, yet are we willing to take that step? Unfortunately, it is all too easy to fall into a perverse enjoyment of our hatred or dislike which in turn leads us to forgetting our compassion; suddenly we feel justified in our anger or hatred, and that, in turn, only leads to further attachment to one's feelings and ego and sense of justification.

On the other hand, there is also the viewpoint that one should not repress one's feelings. There are certainly occasions when it is justified to be angry or upset, especially if some injustice is involved. So I'm certainly not advocating repression of feelings or denial. However, it is usually not constructive to allow one's feelings to be swept away and become obsessed with something. There has to be a sensible middle ground. One should be able to observe one's thoughts and reactions and be able to judge an appropriate response. If you can catch yourself quick enough in the irritation phase and cut it down before it gets out of hand, I think that would be a great victory.

Lately I have turned to Catholic saints and prayers to find a positive response to difficult people. I have found that, at a minimum, if I can catch myself when I start to feel anger or severe judgment against others and respond by mentally reciting the Jesus Prayer or a few Hail Marys that it can help diffuse my negative feelings. Whatever you can do to step back from your feelings and observe where they are going can be highly constructive. Repetitive prayers, mantras, or sacred words can help to take your mind off of problems.

Here are two prayers that I have found especially helpful in response to difficult people. The first one comes from Catholic Prayer Book by Father John A. Hardon, S.J.

Teach me, my Lord, to be kind and gentle in all the events of life; in disappointments, in the thoughtlessness of others, in the insincerity of those I trusted, in the unfaithfulness of those on whom I relied.

Let me put myself aside, to think of the happiness of others, to hide my pains and heartaches, so that I may be the only one to suffer from them.

Teach me to profit by the suffering that comes across my path.

Let me so use it that it may mellow me, not harden or embitter me; that it may make me patient, not irritable; that it may make me broad in my forgiveness, not narrow, proud and overbearing.

May no one be less good for having come within my influence. No one less pure, less true, less kind, less noble for having been a fellow traveler in our journey toward eternal life.

As I go my rounds from one task to another, let me say, from time to time, a word of love to You.

May my life be lived in the supernatural, full of power for good, and strong in its purpose of sanctity. Amen.

The next prayer is by Saint Maria Faustina, one of my favorite saints:

Prayer to be Merciful

Help me Jesus, that what I ask of You (Mercy) I will give to others in word and deed.

Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge others, but always look for what is beautiful and good in other people. Help me, that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to others needs, and not be indifferent to their pain.

Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak wrongly of others, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all.

Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds so that I may do only good to others and always try to take upon myself the more difficult tasks.

Help me, O Lord, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist others, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness, contemplating Your love and mercy.

Help me, O Lord, to forgive and forget. This is Your greatest gift to me, and should be mine for Your sake, to all who offend me.

To forgive and forget - So easy to say but hard to do.

Symbolism in "The Fall"

The following list is a brief survey of the symbolic images in the myth of "The Fall," largely drawn from Inner Christianity by Richard Smoley, plus some of my own thoughts:

Adam: Not necessarily a literal ancestor of humanity. He represents "a prototype or collectivity - one enormous being in whom each individual man and woman is but a single cell." As in A Course in Miracles, Adam is like a part of God that has forgotten his true identity, fragmenting into many pieces. Every single thing in the universe, whether living or not, is some piece of that original "Adam." As it says in Corinthians 12:27, "You are Christ's body, and individually parts of it." And in Romans 12:4, "For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another." Adam represents our "fall" into a world of materiality, separation, and ego. Christ represents our spiritual evolution, our potential for what we can become, and our return to Oneness with the Father. Christ "redeems" the fallen nature of Adam, restoring the fragmentation and separation to a state of wholeness. In a sense we are both Adam and Christ. Adam represents our fallen, earthly nature, and Christ the divinization of our humanity.

The Tree of Life: A tree is a powerful visual representation of unity. "It has a single trunk yet ramifies outward in countless branches and twigs and leaves: it is the living representation of the world, which for all its multiplicity has its one life in God." For Adam and Eve before the fall, eating from the Tree of Life gave them their experience of oneness with God and a perception of static timelessness. Without duality there was no death, decay, loneliness or separation. Yet there was also no experience of different emotions, whether happiness or sadness.

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil: As opposed to the Tree of Life, eating of this tree's fruit "means being aware of the multiplicity while remaining oblivious to the one source from which it all arises." [...] "It represents a sense of separation and polarity: we know good only by comparing it to evil." In a way, eating of this "forbidden" fruit allowed Adam and Eve a full experience of being-ness and self-awareness, which they could not experience in the static Garden of Eden. By experiencing a world of duality it gave them the opportunity to acquire wisdom, grow and evolve. Their perception switched from unity consciousness to an ego-centered identity. It was as if the focus was no longer awareness of being one with the complete "tree of life" but more of an identity as a single, separate branch of that tree. To see only the fruit rather than comprehending the reality of the whole tree.

Loincloths of Fig Leaves: Once they had eaten fruit from the forbidden tree, Adam and Eve became conscious of their nakedness and separateness. To hide themselves they made loincloths of fig leaves. The use of plants symbolizes "that there is a part of human nature that has much in common with plants: we are born, grow, reproduce, and die. A verse in Isaiah alludes to this fact: 'All flesh is grass, and all the goodness thereof is as the flower of the field' (Isaiah 40:6)." Perhaps there is also a connection with the idea that God created man from clay, and says later on in Genesis, "For you are dirt, and to dirt you shall return" (Genesis 3:19). Taken a step further, the garden and vegetation metaphors could imply that man and woman are themselves like gardens. An individual may start out in life as raw "clay" but if one cultivates oneself, as in a fine garden, one can bear good fruit. "For a tree is known by its fruit" (Matthew 12:33).

Leather Garments: Once God expelled Adam and Eve from the garden, he made them leather garments to wear. The change from an original state of nakedness (innocence, purity, egolessness and lack of self-awareness), to the loincloths of fig leaves (affinity to the plant world), and finally to animal skins, represents, in another way, the descent into materiality. The wearing of animal skins indicates that humans "also have an animal nature: the aspect of ourselves that is concerned with dominance, status, and power." [...] "Thus the tradition is suggesting that the two 'coverings' imposed upon the consciousness of the true 'I' as it fell are the vegetable and animal levels of our own minds." Like animals, our minds and behavior include an element that is reactionary rather than rational. To behave "like an animal" implies a tendency to act on instinct, an aspect of earthly behavior, of the "passions," as opposed to a higher level of consciousness that desires to rise upwards towards a unity consciousness with God.

The Serpent & Time: Traditionally, the serpent has been equated with the Devil. Yet from an esoteric standpoint, the serpent has much greater symbolism. Even before Christianity, the serpent has been associated with the ouroboros, "which means 'tail-eater' and which depicts a circular snake swallowing its own tail." As a symbol of time, it refers to the idea "that time - or at any rate our experience of time - is a self-perpetuating ring that traps us in the realm of the Fall." Sometimes you may have experienced occasions when you've lost track of time; being absorbed in some activity or getting lost in daydreaming, ("Time flies when you're having fun"), etc. Such seemingly rare occasions of timelessness are examples of stepping out of the bounds of the ouroboros, out of the duality and dimension of time, into an experience of the present moment. In Genesis, God gives a rather long tirade against the serpent, cursing it and saying, "On your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life" (Genesis 3:14). According to Smoley, "This suggests that, in the fallen state, the circular serpent known as time has a horizontal dimension - and this is exactly how we experience it, as a linear sequence of moments. We do not usually think of time as the ouroboros, a self-perpetuating cycle out of which we can step if we know how."

Finally, there is a reference in Genesis to humanity's capability of stepping out of the perpetual cycle of time (as in those occasions when one loses track of time). God tells the serpent, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel." There is obviously more to these words than the mere surface literal interpretation. Smoley suggests that to "strike at your head" (the head of the serpent) means "to step outside time," as in those brief moments when we truly experience the present moment. And "while you strike at his heel" refers to the serpent's (time's) power to pull humanity back into the horizontal, linear dimension of time, back to our "fallen" condition.

In a future post I will explore some of the symbolism of Christ.